A review by Chloé Wolifson Gail Hastings’ major new work Exhibition: To Do is anchored around a large square plywood structure that sits on the earth’s axis – the walls respectively facing north, south, east and west. The visitor is invited to enter the structure, also entitled Exhibition: To Do, via an opening in its eastern wall. This has […]
It is with great pleasure that The Commercial Gallery announces it now represents Gail Hastings and will present a solo exhibition of her work at the inaugural Sydney Contemporary art fair between 19 and 22 September at Carriageworks, Sydney (Booth PC102). It is exciting to be showing new work by this important mid-career Australian artist […]
While standing in a queue at, for example, a supermarket, we might realise we have forgotten something we need to fetch, and turn to the person behind to ask if they wouldn’t mind holding our place in line. In this simple act a social contract is made between oneself and a stranger who vows to hold one’s claim. The held space […]
Half exhibition, half archival room – this exhibition presents a number of sculptuations that focus on the creation of space. The exhibition’s title refers, in part, to an included work in which the spatially isolated letters of the word ‘today’ invoke a daily fragmentation that nevertheless come together as one in the end – as ‘Today’. Called […]
In this exhibition there is one work, ‘encounter: Stephen Sinn’. The word ‘encounter’ surfaced during discussion after Fr Steve spent some very long moments silently looking at the work for the first time. For him, the term tended to encapsulate not only the movement happening in the work, but its parallel with what was most […]
After much squabbling over how best to cut the piece of wood, with jigsaw in hand I decided to ignore Mick and get on with the job as I always do — uncomfortable with his audience but, nevertheless — when Mick made a last ditched effort and said, ‘leave the line standing’. Standing? Line? I […]
Perth born Hastings is a singular artist distinguished by the extraordinary focus of her practice. … Consistently describing her work as ‘a space made for others’ Hastings creates what she calls ‘invisible architectures’ that invite the viewer to enter a dialogue with what they observe. … As ‘the artist’ Hastings eschews a central position in her […]
Hastings regards her works as ‘sculptural situations’ rather than as paintings or installations, or even sculptures. Rather than adhering to a pre-existing location, Hastings seeks to craft space—in particular, she seeks to craft an inter-subjective space, a social space of conversation and communication. This is at once a remarkably fraught, ambitious and fascinating enterprise. It […]
As in a detective story, or the scene of a crime, everything is primed or poised for meaning. That corridor to the library and that picture on the wall: everything in the mystery seems chosen, asking us why it is there. Everyone becomes a suspect. We bring our private eyes along and take partial views […]
Moments of Mind : The Sweeney Reed CollectionSculptural Situation – Plans: Gail Hastings The two exhibitions in Heide 1 are a departure from the survey collection shows exhibited in the space to date. The juxtaposition of work by Sweeney Reed and practising Sydney artist Gail Hastings is the first in a planned series of projects […]
It used to be said of experimental art that it didn’t really need an audience to view it…. Experimentation for its own sake was to be sufficient … Of course this was before — or despite — some people reckoning that the value of art was actually something produced in the exchange between artists and […]
Included sculptuations: a sculptural situation to enter, and to leave, 2000 a sculptural situation, drawn in, 2000 a sculptural situation’s architectonic colour-space, 2000 Encyclopaedia of possibilities: Mon 14.9.95, 1995 magazine – mission: untitled (blue), 1999 Movie directions for secret agents, 1994 pattern book five, 1996 poster: a sculptural situation (drawn in), 2000 stare two, 1997 […]
The Director said, ‘action’, he acted, he said ‘apparently not’, then the Director said, ‘cut’. This ‘take’ was done 10 times. Then, at night for ten nights, he dreamt each take in detail. One take was selected and the movie completed. For ten weeks the movie was shown at the movie house in his nome town. […]
Hastings takes up artistic idioms and presentational forms of conceptual art and charges them sensually. She combines conceptual strategies with the language and aesthetics of action-related, factual texts … and stages these through the employment of a markedly material aesthetics. Her art opens up a dialogue on the origins, significance and function of ‘works’ and […]
Hastings takes up artistic idioms and presentational forms of conceptual art and charges them sensually. She combines conceptual strategies with the language and aesthetics of action-related, factual texts … and stages these through the employment of a markedly material aesthetics. Her art opens up a dialogue on the origins, significance and function of ‘works’ and […]
To find the time in this work of art …
rule b: Upon the conclusion of your endeavour, title and date this form appropriately: not without, however, the promise that whilst the outcome might be baffling, that the process was — at least — truthful to, and trustful of, the moment. … rule c: Remember, the aesthetic outcome of this exercise is purely due to […]
Belles-lettre is a project consisting of separate installations by three artists, Maureen Burns, Gail Hastings and Virginia Ward. Based in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth respectively, each has devised a site-specific work for ACCA which explores new definitions of sculpture and the relationships between object, text and space. The ephemeral nature of the communications — both […]
